Empty kayak adrift on Bay of Fundy sparks Cormorant, Zodiac search

Firefighters from Annapolis Royal and Bridgetown, RCMP, a Cormorant helicopter from 14 Wing Greenwood, and the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Halifax were all involved in a search of the shore near Phinneys Cove on the Bay of Fundy after an empty kayak was spotted drifting offshore.

Firefighters from Annapolis Royal and Bridgetown, RCMP, a Cormorant helicopter from 14 Wing Greenwood, and the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Halifax were all involved in a search of the shore near Phinneys Cove on the Bay of Fundy after an empty kayak was spotted drifting offshore.

Firefighters from Annapolis Royal and Bridgetown, RCMP, a Cormorant helicopter from 14 Wing Greenwood, and the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Halifax were all involved in a search of the shore near Phinneys Cove on the Bay of Fundy after an empty kayak was spotted drifting offshore.

Firefighters from Annapolis Royal and Bridgetown, RCMP, a Cormorant helicopter from 14 Wing Greenwood, and the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Halifax were all involved in a search of the shore near Phinneys Cove on the Bay of Fundy after an empty kayak was spotted drifting offshore.

Firefighters from Annapolis Royal and Bridgetown, RCMP, a Cormorant helicopter from 14 Wing Greenwood, and the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Halifax were all involved in a search of the shore near Phinneys Cove on the Bay of Fundy after an empty kayak was spotted drifting offshore.

Firefighters from Annapolis Royal and Bridgetown, RCMP, a Cormorant helicopter from 14 Wing Greenwood, and the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Halifax were all involved in a search of the shore near Phinneys Cove on the Bay of Fundy after an empty kayak was spotted drifting offshore.

Firefighters from Annapolis Royal and Bridgetown, RCMP, a Cormorant helicopter from 14 Wing Greenwood, and the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Halifax were all involved in a search of the shore near Phinneys Cove on the Bay of Fundy after an empty kayak was spotted drifting offshore.

PHINNEYS COVE, NS - The Annapolis Royal Water Rescue Unit and a Cormorant helicopter from 14 Wing Greenwood responded to a report of an overturned canoe adrift in the Bay of Fundy early on July 12, but no occupant was found.

“About 8:40 this morning we got a call of an overturned canoe, just off here,” said RCMP Const. David Fairfax at the staging scene for firefighters and police at a private property on the Shore Road near the water at Phinneys Cove.

Fairfax said the boat, which turned out to be a blue kayak, was picked up by fishermen in the area.

“We had some difficulty getting in touch with the boat to see what it was that they found,” said Fairfax. “We were assisted by Bridgetown fire and Annapolis Royal water rescue. They put in at Hampton and they searched the area, the shoreline.”

The Annapolis Royal fire department’s Zodiac searched for about an hour but found nothing, said Chief Malcolm Francis at the scene. Bridgetown Chief Randy Sheridan was also at the scene and firefighters used binoculars to search from the shoreline.

“Then we heard from the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Halifax. They were going to contact the boat,” said Fairfax. “They actually got on the boat and the captain of the boat thought that maybe the boat (kayak) had just gone adrift.”

Fairfax said he talked to the fishing boat captain who said there were rocks in the boat that would indicate that someone had put it on the shore and left it there, the tide came in and then took the boat.

“But the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre wanted to send a Cormorant to do the coast just to get a better look and that’s where we’re at now.”

That was about 12:15 p.m. The Cormorant made several sweeps over a large area several times and even lowered a diver into the water at one point. But the search was called off at about 12:45 p.m.

The kayak was taken to Hampton where Fairfax said it will be stored for 90 days. If it’s not claimed in that time, it goes to the person who found it.